Yin and Yang
by stargate addict
Summary: In which Rodney gets tatoo'd, John has good ideas, and the author is a hopeless romantic. Go figure. Light McShep, rated T to be safe. NOTE: Reposted from another account because I'm a dork.


Reposted from another account, with the penname Meridith. Yes, I'm the same person. :D It was just a pain having the two accounts, so I decided to move this. Sorry for the trouble!

Un-beta'd. Contains light McShep, nothing explicit or anything. And, most likely many cliches. Watch out. ;)

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Yin and Yang

by Meridith / stargateaddict (Multiple personality disorder? Mio?)

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"I can't believe you," I snarled. "This – this – I've been horribly disfigured!!

Colonel Sheppard, a.k.a. Colonel Hair-for-brains, rolled his eyes. "Sure you weren't like that already?" He smirked.

I ground my teeth. My sarcastic (and no doubt, brilliant) reply was cut off by Carson's probing fingers.

"Ow! That hurts!"

The doctor sighed. "Aye, tattoo's usually do." Sheppard looked down at his hipbone, where his own tattoo had been drawn. Sewn on, whatever.

"You know, they're kinda cool."

I gaped at him. "Cool? Cool? God knows what was in that ink! It'll probably get infected, at which point I'll swell up and die." I pointed at my own hipbone as proof. "See, look, that swelling can't be normal. I'm right, it's infected. Oh god, oh god, I'm too smart to die – "

Carson cut me off with a sigh. "Relax, Rodney, that's perfectly normal. I'd still like you both to check in regularly, though, just to make sure." Ronon snickered in the background. I turned my glare to him.

"Oh, har har, very funny. It's not like you had a tattoo forced on you."

"Already have one," he said, pointing to his neck.

Elizabeth walked into the infirmary. "Anyone mind telling me what happened on M46-576?"

"We got tattoos," said John, pointing to his hipbone.

She raised an eyebrow, lips twitching humorously. "I can see that. How exactly did that happen?"

"Sheppard here volunteered us," I spat, glowering.

"It's not like I knew what they were going to do!"

"Yeah, so you agreed anyway? Very smart, Colonel."

Teyla intervened diplomatically. "The Sheela are very adept at 'body art,' – it is one of their oldest traditions. In order to open trade between our worlds, they insisted that two of us go through a… ritual."

"You'd think Sheppard would know by now. Rituals Bad!"

Both Elizabeth and Teyla sent me quelling looks. Faced with my boss (that woman can be scary) and teammate (who can kick my ass across Atlantis and back) I decided silence would be wise.

Teyla continued, "Sybille, a respected soothsayer, determined that Col. Sheppard and Dr. McKay were the two worthy candidates."

"They gave some kind of… local anesthesia. Didn't feel a thing, at the time," Sheppard put in.

"Well, I feel it now! And what does it say, anyway?" Elizabeth turned to me, inclining her head politely.

"May I?"

Slightly uncomfortable, I moved my clothes out of the way, acutely aware that I was flashing skin at my boss. Her, Teyla and Sheppard all leaned forward. I scowled. This must be what a fish in a fishbowl feels like.

"It's quite… odd. It looks almost unfinished."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, alone it means 'part of a whole.'" Elizabeth straightened.

"What, so I'm just part of a whole? Why the hell did they tattoo that on?" I asked, insulted. Struck with an idea, I moved to Sheppard. "Are they the same?" I batted his had away impatiently, pulling the edge of his pants down to better see the mark.

Sheppard raised an eyebrow.

Oh. Right. Groping team leader. I flushed slightly, and then tilted my chin up defiantly. "Oh, shut up. I just need to compare." For a split second I paused, distracted by the smooth skin of his stomach and hip. Shaking my head, I examined the tattoo, hearing Elizabeth lean over, too.

It was actually quite pretty, if you liked that sort of thing. The ink was blue, and formed wavy, graceful lines.

Teyla nodded. "It also means 'part of a whole.'"

Ronon grunted. Everyone turned to look at him.

"You said it was part of a word. Together?" he said, talkative as always.

Elizabeth and Teyla looked at each other. "Join the words together, and they mean… One. Whole."

Both women were wearing that disturbing soft-eyed 'awww!' expression. A nurse nearby sighed, murmuring softly, "So sweet!"

Sheppard and I just looked at each other, dumbfounded.

"Um," he said, scanning the infirmary, eyes widening in alarm. It seemed that every female in the vicinity was wearing that dreamy expression. Even Carson was smiling idiotically, for chrissakes. I always knew he was a romantic at heart, the traitor. Later, I would mercilessly taunt him for it. Right now, though, I was going to get the hell out of here.

"Well! That's ah, very interesting, but I have very important work to do, that the wellbeing of Atlantis and everyone in depends on. Right, I'll just be… goingnow…" jumping off the infirmary bed, I raced towards the door fast enough to leave scorch marks. Behind me, I could hear Sheppard mutter something and follow suit.

Outside Carson's lair, we looked at each other uncomfortably. "You know the whole of Atlantis will know about this by lunchtime, don't you?" he said.

I nodded. Damn rumor mill. You'd think the supposed 'best and brightest' of earth would have better things to do with their time, but nooo…

Ronon snorted from behind us. We both jumped; neither of us had heard him coming.

"Nothin' new. Everybody already thinks that you two are sleeping together," he sauntered off, smirking.

If the silence had been bad before, now it was deafening. I muttered something unintelligible under my breath and bolted to the nearest transporter. I wasn't really running away.

Not at all.

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The labs were hell. Zelenka had heard about the tattoo incident, and seemed to have taken it upon himself to bring the subject up as often as possible. Apparently, he was still smarting over his visit to the Lord of the Flies planet.

Damn, I knew teasing him about that would come back to bite me in the ass.

"Ah, so you and the Colonel are finally, what do they say, an 'item,' yes?"

"Shut up."

"Tsk. Your retort is pitiable. Perhaps you would rather be with Colonel Sheppard than in the labs?"

I growled and stalked out.

"In the wedding, may I be first man?" he called to my retreating back.

The mess hall would be better, I reasoned.

I have never been so wrong.

The moment I sat down, Cadman came over, radiating good cheer and an evil smugness.

"So. Tattoos," she began.

"I am going to kill Carson. Kill."

"You stay away from my boyfriend," she stated, cheerful and evil. Pure evil. "Back to the topic. Really, I'm happy for you. You and Colonel Sheppard."

"No! There is no me and Colonel Sheppard!" I snapped loudly. Everyone in the mess hall turned to stare.

I thunked my forehead against the table.

"Oh, no, you can't fool me," she said, addressing the back of my skull. "In your head, remember?"

Quarters. My quarters sounded like a fantastic idea.

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I swiped a hand over the ancient door opener thingy, tired and irritated. I was about to flop onto my bed, when I realized it was already occupied.

"Sheppard!" I squeaked. "Jesus, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

He didn't answer, just stood up and walked towards me, all sensual grace. He didn't stop, forcing me to move back until I hit the wall.

"What?"

He finally spoke, face inches from my own. "You know, I was thinking."

"That's new," I said, without bite; those hazel eyes stared into mine, captivating and unreadable.

"I was thinking. Everyone thinks that we're sleeping together, so we might as well do the deed we're getting credit for." He leaned forward, warm breath ghosting along my cheek.

"That's got to be the most pathetic reason. Ever." Sheppard's body pressed up against mine, a warm, arousing weight. "But then again, that's a fabulous idea, really. Fantastic," I babbled.

Sheppard – no, John – smiled unreservedly. His eyes lit up happily. "Good," he muttered, covering my lips with his.

At first the kiss was gentle, oddly chaste; but the moment our tongues touched it became fiery, the frantic exploration of each other's mouths until we were forced to separate, panting for air.

I slid my hands up John's shirt. "Bed," I managed. In afterthought, I added, "Clothes, too."

He smirked, the skin around his eyes crinkling. "I see why they call you a genius," he teased, already half-undressed.

I just rolled my eyes and shoved him down onto the bed.

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Afterwards we curled up together on the bed, sleepy and sated. John's arm was draped bonelessly over my shoulder, face nuzzled in the hollow of my neck. Our legs tangled together easily. The matching tattoos seemed to glow in the dim light. I reached down, lightly tracing John's. Two halves of a whole – One.

So sometimes I get a little romantic and disgustingly shmoopy. Sue me.

John murmured sleepily and pulled me closer. I sighed contentedly, drifting off to sleep.

-Fin-


End file.
